Congressman Miller to Retire in January 2015
Ranking member on the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee, George Miller has served 40 years in Congress since being elected in 1974 at age 29.
U.S. Rep. George Miller, the California Democrat who has in the past chaired the House labor committee and now is its ranking member, announced Jan. 13 that he will retire at the end of the 113th Congress. The final day of that Congress will be Jan. 3, 2015; Miller, who is 68, has served 40 years in Congress since being elected in 1974 at age 29. He is fifth in seniority among all House members.
"This is a great institution and I cannot thank my family and my constituents enough for having given me the honor and privilege of representing my district in Congress these past 40 years," Miller said in a statement posted on his House website. "I have tried to repay them for their confidence by working hard every day to make our country a better place. I'm proud of what I have been able to accomplish on behalf of children, working people and the environment, in my district and for our country, especially passage of national health care reform. Now, I look forward to one last year in Congress fighting the good fight and then working in new venues on the issues that have inspired me. What a wonderful experience this has been."
Miller pushed for stronger OSHA and MSHA enforcement during his tenure as the labor committee's chair, and he filed bills repeatedly that would have required OSHA to issue a combustible dust regulation.
U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who chairs the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued a statement calling Miller "a fierce advocate in Congress for students and workers. His strong leadership and work ethic helped the committee forge bipartisan agreement on a number of critical issues, from simplifying the federal student loan program to advancing legislation to support the growth of high-quality charter schools. Tough challenges remain on the committee’s agenda, including reforming the multiemployer pension system and reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, and I look forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead. It remains an honor to serve with George, and I am proud to call him a friend," Kline said.
"I believe that we are in the midst of one of the most exciting and critical times for educational achievement, teacher empowerment, and school reform," Miller said in his statement. "This includes the smart application and use of technology that offers a remarkable opportunity to address and reduce persistent problems in American education, like improving educational equity, strengthening teacher performance, and revolutionizing the teaching and learning environment in schools. This type of education reform and innovative thinking can change the lives of millions of American children, strengthen our communities, and revitalize our economy. Unfortunately, that's not on this Congress' agenda. But these reforms must happen, and I want to be part of them."